Mayor Bottoms: No council vote Monday on Gulch project
https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news...toms-no-council-vote-mondayon-gulch.html
"Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has decided not to ask the city council Monday to approve an ambitious redevelopment of downtown Atlanta's "Gulch."
In a statement released just more than two hours before the start of Monday's council meeting, Bottoms agreed to give council members and residents more time to grasp the details surrounding the proposed sale of Gulch property for more than $100 million to Los Angeles-based CIM Group, which is pitching an up-to $5 billion redevelopment of the old downtown rail yard.
"We recognize and respect that members of council and the public need more time to understand the largest development deal in our city's history," the mayor said. "I have no intention of asking the authors of these proposals to request a vote on these proposals today.
"Members of my administration will continue to work with members of council and the public to better understand the substantial benefits we have negotiated and the benefits this project will bring to our entire city."
Bottoms would have faced an uphill battle getting several legislative items relating to the Gulch deal through council on Monday. Notably, the council committees that considered the proposals last week decided not to put them on the full council's agenda, and it would taken a motion from a council supporter to place them before the council.
Council members and downtown community leaders have called on Bottoms to slow down to further vet the process.
Supporters had been working to move quickly because officials with Norfolk Southern Corp., the railroad giant negotiating to sell its Gulch property to Los Angeles-based CIM Group, was anxious to complete the transaction by the end of September ahead of its third quarter earnings report.
The full council is not scheduled to meet again this month."